Thanksgiving
by jessica032648
Summary: A repost and continuation of the previous "Thanksgiving" story that I published about a month ago. I had a couple of people ask me for a continuation of it, so I deleted the story and reposted it with the ending. More of a Thanksgiving/Christmas story now


It was Thanksgiving and Rossi had invited the entire team, plus their families and kids or a date if you wanted, to his house for a traditional dinner, complete with the football game and the watching of the parade. Penelope, for her part, was excited about the ordeal because it meant getting to spend time with everyone outside the office. It turned out to be an amazing day. Jack and Henry were outside playing with Rossi's dog, Mudgie, while the adults cooked the meal. For the first time in a long time, everyone got to see Hotch smile, especially as he watched Jack show Henry how to play fetch with the dog. He loved watching his son play and it made him happy to know that even as an only child he was very giving and sharing with other children, not selfish like he had seen some children that had no siblings become.

As they each took their turn in letting each other know that they were all who and what they were thankful for, it became clear to everyone that this team was a very tight-nit family. Blood had nothing to do with this love. Everyone was totally at ease and relaxed, at home with each other, which was a wonderful thing to see, it had been too long.

"I am so thankful," Penelope started as the last one to speak, "for this team. You guys are my family, and I love each and every one of you all. We have all been through so much together and we have had our ups an downs, just like all families. With Emily 'dying' and JJ being transferred, that was just an awful time for the entire team. Then Hotch getting transferred and just, everything we have been through, everything we have overcome, it's not just a team anymore. Look around and see how the tension is gone, because you know, temporary though it may be, that we can all relax and not have to be on high alert. This kind of comfort, it only comes from true happiness. That is what I am thankful for, my team, my family. I love you all so much!" she finished with a tear in her eye and everyone raised their glasses in a toast as they all realized she was right. They were all looking around and for the first time, realized that for at least today, they were all able to be free and relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever. They all hugged one another and were all nodding their heads in agreement, amazed that everything was going so amazingly well, if only for that day. It was something they all realized that they had been needing for a while. With a smile they all sat back down and, after Rossi said grace, they all begin to eat. Conversation during the meal was sparse, everyone content to eat in the comfortable silence and listen to the two young boys just talk up a storm about the funniest things. As they finished up, the kids went in the guest room and turned the TV on to find cartoons while the adults went into the living room to watch the game and let their food rest before cleaning.

Half an hour later, JJ, Emily, Penelope, and Reid all made their way back to the kitchen and began cleaning up the mess that had been made. Hotch, Derek, Rossi, and Will were all outside tossing the football around with Mudgie and the boys. Eventually everyone made their way back into the living room, Rossi having informed everyone that if they wanted to stay, there were going to be some movies to watch. It was about 6:30 when JJ and Will made their way to the door, saying their goodbyes for the night and wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Henry gave everyone a hug and he gave Mudgie a hug and a sloppy kiss on the nose, squealing in delight as the dog placed sloppy kisses of his own all over the three year olds face. Rossi walked them over to the door, thanked them for coming and along with everyone else, bid them goodnight. Hotch and Jack were next, about twenty minutes later, Jack giving his goodbye hugs to the team while Hotch bid Rossi and the rest of the team farewell.

"Goodnight, everybody, 9:30 tomorrow morning, get some rest, and Dave," Hotch turned as he got to the door and paused, "this was a great idea. I haven't been this relaxed in years. Thanks." Hotch reached his hand out and the older agent grabbed it in his own and thanked him for coming.

"It was a good night, Aaron," Rossi lowered his voice before continuing. "You deserve to be happy, my friend. When you and Hayley got married, you were a lawyer, not an FBI agent that's always on the go. Any woman that you meet now, will know exactly what they are getting, don't let yourself miss out, just because you are scared to hurt someone again. Let yourself have fun more often." He smiled at his friend and was happy to see a smile appear on the younger mans face as well. Hotch nodded and turned back to the door, putting his hand on Jack's back and guiding him out the door. A chorus of "good-nights" followed them out the door, and Hotch couldn't help but feel somewhat lighter at heart after watching his team and realizing that he did indeed, have a family.

About thirty minutes later, Derek and Reid were also getting up to leave when they noticed Penelope was fast asleep in the chair. They looked at Rossi in question of whether he wanted them to leave her alone. "I'll get a blanket out and let her rest, she needs it just as much as we do. I might try to get her up to the guest room so she can sleep comfortably, instead of squished up in that chair. It's not a fun thing to wake up out of, believe me," he said, rubbing his neck as if to show how bad just the memory pained him. Derek nodded in agreement and he and Spencer bid him a good night and Happy Thanksgiving. Giving Mudgie a pat on the head as they walked out the door, Derek smiled as he watched Spencer walk towards his car.

"Hey, Kid," Derek called to Reid, causing him to stop and turn. Morgan caught up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You know I'm thankful to have you in my life, right? I look at you and I see the kid brother I always wanted. I don't know if you ever wanted any siblings, but I think...I think if I had a little brother, I'd want him to be like you. I love you, Kid." Spencer blushed and looked at the ground, not quite knowing how to respond. He felt his eyes mist over and his throat tightened as he tried to fight the urge he suddenly had to cry at the overwhelming emotion inside.

"Derek, I, uh, when I was little I used to think about what it would be like if I had a big brother. Someone to protect me from the bullies at school. Someone to play with. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved spending time with my mother but I always wanted an older brother and I think, I'm sure that if I could, if I was able to choose a brother, I would choose you. You and JJ and Emily and Garcia, to me you are what I think my brothers and sisters would have been like, if I had been lucky enough to have any. But at the same time, I don't know that I would ever have wanted any other child subjected to what went on in my house, even though I loved the times I had with mother it was also very scary in a lot of ways. Thanks, for always being there for me, Derek," Reid said. He looked up and was startled when Derek pulled him into a hug. He returned the gesture and pulled away, getting into his car. He waved goodbye to the older agent and pulled out of the drive way. Morgan looked back to the house and waved as he saw Rossi shut off the porch light and close the door. 'I am so blessed,' Derek thought as he drove off.

Rossi shut the door and turned around to go try and rouse Penelope so she could get upstairs. After the three glasses of wine she'd had at dinner, she had passed out and Rossi still wouldn't trust her to drive even if she had slept for a few minutes. A few minutes did not take away the effects of the alcohol. There was no way she was driving home. He knelt down in front of the chair she had curled up in and found himself suddenly mesmerized by the hair that had found its way across her cheek. He reached out, tucking the hair behind her ear and let his hand linger on her neck as he spoke her name. "Penelope, come on, honey, let's get you upstairs so you can get a good nights sleep." She turned her head, leaning into his touch before opening her eyes. She blinked twice and suddenly pulled away as if she realized who's touch she was leaning into. Rossi pulled his hand away, wondering if that was embarrassment or shock he had seen pass over her face before it turned back to perky as she jumped out of the chair.

"Sorry, sir, I didn't mean to be a damper on your evening. It was lovely, by the way," she continued as she started grabbing her jacket, purse and keys. "I'll just go home now," she said, stumbling over her foot as she started to walk around the coffee table to the door. Rossi shook his head, grabbing the keys out of her hand.

"You're not going anywhere, Penelope," he said as he pocketed the keys. "You, my dear, have had to much to drink, and I am not letting you go anywhere until morning. I know you're not drunk, but you are probably over the limit." Rossi could see the irritation on her face but he didn't care. She was far to important for him to allow her drive after she'd been drinking. If something would happen to her, he just wouldn't be able to bear it.

"Fine," she said, knowing she wouldn't win the argument even if she tried. "May I shower and do you have something I could use to sleep in?" she asked as she started toward the stairs. He quickly joined her on the stairs and led her to the master bedroom with the attached bathroom. The room itself was beautiful, full of antique wood furniture, an amazingly ornate hand-carved roll-top writing desk, and to top it off, there in the middle of the room under a window was the most beautiful hand-crafted, king size sleigh bed. It had detailed carvings in the head and foot boards with such detail it must have taken months to make, if not years. 'I wonder what the mattress feels like,' she thought, then felt herself blush at the images that came flooding to her brain. She had had a crush on the senior agent for a while now, though she had tried to never let it show. She gasped and jumped when she heard him speak, his hand on her shoulder.

"Garcia, are you alright?" Rossi asked, concern evident on his face. She nodded her head and tried to control her breathing, but when she realized that she was actually in _David Rossi's_ room, her breath hitched and she had to sit down. She felt his hand slide to her elbow and realized he was guiding her to the bed to help her sit. "Are you ok?" he asked again, the hitch in her breathing not going unnoticed when he'd touched her. His stomach flipped at the thoughts that brought with it. 'She untouchable,' he thought to himself.

"I'm sorry sir, it's just that I've umm..well I've never actually been in such a beautiful house and it's just breathtaking and then I realized that I was in my bosses room and then I got all flustered because my thoughts were starting to drift to other things and I was just sure you would be able to tell what I was thinking and then I got nervous and then...O MY GOD!" She exclaimed. Penelope's face turned ten shades of red as she realized what she had just said, pretty much giving everything away of what she was thinking. She covered her mouth so she wouldn't say another word and couldn't help the small giggle that escaped at the look on his face. 'At least I can laugh about embarrassing myself,' she thought. "Now then, after that I think I need a cold shower so if you can kindly show me where I can find something to wear so I don't have to sleep in my clothes it would be greatly appreciated, sir." Rossi sat in stunned silence, wondering how he had missed her apparent attraction to him. An expert profiler should be able to see these things, but all this time she had always been off limits because he thought eventually Morgan would open his eyes and see what he had right in front of him. 'Maybe it's not Morgan she wants,' he thought as he too stood and walked to the dresser to fish out a pair of boxers and an old t-shirt that was perfectly worn in and comfortable.

"You can use the master bath, it's got a jacuzzi if you want to take a bath. If you want bubbles there are some in this closet," he said, leading her to the bathroom and showing her the selection of bubble baths, along with the towels, shampoos and conditioners, and brand new loofah sponges.

"Sir, I can't take your bathroom. What if you want to go to bed before I'm done?" Pen shook her head as if that would make him back down and as she looked over at him, she noticed his eyes were trained on her, studying her features.

"You can call me David, we're not at work and you're about to sleep here, I think sir should have gone out the window a while ago." Rossi smiled at her and grabbed her elbow, guiding her to the bathroom. "As for the bathroom, if I want to go to bed I can sleep in the guest room, but I was going to be waiting up for you to get done before I would be going to bed anyways, so please, I insist you take this bathroom, the tub is much bigger and from the look on your face, you could really use a nice big tub with some massaging jacuzzi jets. Bath with jets, or plain bath, no jacuzzi which do you prefer?" he asked softly while raising an eyebrow and smiling at her, watching as her eyes lit up with joy and she reached over, giving him a hug. It had been ages since she'd been able to enjoy a good, hot bubble bath, and if this man was offering, who was she to refuse. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into the hug, she felt her stomach flip. 'What am I doing?' she asked herself. 'He'll never want you, you are so not sophisticated enough or skinny enough, or pretty enough. You know better. Remember the last gorgeous man that asked you out? Yeah, you got shot. Don't even let yourself go there,' she reprimanded herself repeatedly for that mistake. Derek was right that time. Too smokin' hot. And to her, David Rossi was smokin' hot. She started to pull back and release him when she realized he wasn't letting her go. Leaning back and looking up into his eyes, she was surprised to see them clouded with lust, staring into her own. She thought she might be dreaming as she realized he was towering over her, his body covering hers, as he pushed her against the now shut door of the bathroom.

Penelope gasped as she realized her dreams might actually be coming true. Here was David Rossi, pushing her more than willing body up against his bathroom door, pressing his hard body into her soft one, his arousal making a home for itself, nestling against her thigh. Staring into her eyes, he watched as her own clouded over, lust taking control of them. He couldn't help himself and when she gasped in surprise of his body pressing into hers, he took full advantage of her parted lips. Ever so gently he lowered his lips to hers, relishing in the feel of the contact with her. She moaned as he slipped his tongue inside, claiming her mouth fully as their tongues danced around one another. He brought his hands up, burying his fingers in her hair, loving the way it slid through his fingers like silk.

He pulled back after a few minutes, trying to regain his composure. "Penelope," he said ever so softly. "I'm, I'm not sure if I should have done that, but even so, I just couldn't help myself." He spoke softly, not wanting to break whatever spell was settled there, but he didn't want her thinking he was just going to take advantage of her. "You've been drinking, Pen," he said. "I just don't want you to regret this in the morning."

"Sir, David," she said with a shake of her head, "I know what I'm doing...and more importantly, I know EXACTLY who I am doing it with." She stated, her voice may have been soft as she whispered, but she was leaving no room for any doubt as to her mental state. That's all Rossi needed to hear and his mouth was instantly back on hers, exploring slowly, memorizing everything about the way she kissed him back. She pulled back suddenly, a look of concern flashing over her face as she spoke the question she wasn't sure she wanted an answer to. "Why me, sir?" she asked, knowing better than to think it was just because of looks. It just wasn't like a man like Rossi to ever, ever find her attractive. She just wasn't on the radar of the well dressed, well groomed, amazingly sexy and eligible bachelors such as David Rossi or even Derek Morgan, for that matter. Men like them, like she had told Derek, don't cross a crowded room to speak to women like her. David's breathing was labored as he tried to understand why she was questioning this. "What do you mean, 'why you'? Because you, Penelope Garcia, you are an amazing woman. You are beautiful and funny and you have the kindest heart of any person I have ever met. You are the heart and soul of this team and you...you keep me going when the darkness threatens to over take the light, you are there, to pull me, and all of us for that matter, back from the abyss. Because you're you, Honey. That's 'why you'." Rossi ran a finger lightly down her cheek, catching the tear that had spilled over onto her cheek. "You don't give yourself enough credit, sweetheart." He leaned forward, his lips brushing against her cheek where the tear had been and moving lower until he captured her lips once again. "You get in the tub, I'll be waiting on you when you get done." Penelope nodded her head and kissed him one last time before starting the bath water and adding the proper amount of bubbles. He walked out the door and back into his room to change into his pajamas, his thoughts lingering on the woman in the next room.

As Rossi was changing, he started thinking about how lucky he was. He had an amazing team, friends as he had come to realize recently. These people loved him, they thought of him as their friend also, and that made him happier than any amount of money he could ever have. He realized, thankfully not too late, that Penelope shared his feelings. At least he hoped she did and wasn't wanting this to just be one night. They needed to talk before anything happened. If this was going to happen, he wanted to make this more than one night. His relationships of the past were proof enough that, apparently, he wasn't the best at them. But he was already making what he hoped wasn't a premature vow in that of making this relationship with Penelope, if that's what she wanted, he was going to make this work. With this woman, that was currently naked and in his tub, he wanted more than just a night. If her kisses were any indication, she was a sex kitten. Her body soft and pliable. But oddly enough, that was something he wanted to wait on with her. He couldn't just jump right into bed with her. This was Penelope and she deserved more than that. Hopefully she would be willing to wait. Rossi had made his way down stairs, already being dressed for bed, and started a pot of decaf, something he always did before bed. When she came in, dressed in his oversize shirt and a pair of his boxers, his stomach jumped to his throat and he couldn't help the moan that escaped his throat. It was a rare occasion to see Garcia with no make-up on, and as she stood there in his clothes, hair up in a towel to help it dry, and face void of make-up, she was truly breathtaking. He took a deep breath and looked her up and down once more before offering her a seat. "You want a cup of coffee, it's decaf?" he asked, wondering, suddenly, what her bedtime habits were. She nodded her head and he got another cup out. With the coffee finished, they moved into the living room, both of them taking up residence on the couch.

Penelope wasn't sure what to think. She had never been able to actually spend much time with Rossi outside of work, but little by little she found herself developing feelings for the older agent. She knew of his relatively sordid past with women, but she couldn't help but be turned on by the man. She often wondered what it would be like to be with the legendary profiler. Wondering if he was as attentive in bed as he was to the details of an UNSUB. About ten minutes after they sat down, Penelope stood up to go to bathroom and get her hair brushed out.

"Um, sir, do you happen to have a blow dryer I could use?" she was doubtful of a positive answer but figured she'd ask anyways. He nodded his head, "third drawer down on the sink," he said, not taking his eyes off her as she walked down the hallway to the smaller bathroom. 'God, I hope she wants more than just one night,' he thought grimly to himself. God knew he wanted more, but if that's all she was willing to give, he would take it. Though, like he had previously thought, he didn't want to just jump into bed with her, she was to precious a woman to do that too. Penelope walked back into the living room, brush in hand.

"I decided against the blow dryer, figured I'd just let it air dry," she answered to his questioning look. She started running the brush through her hair and Dave scooted closer to her, covering her hand with his and taking the brush from her.

"Turn around," he said softly, following her strokes, letting the brush run softly through her hair. She shivered when she felt his breath on her neck, followed by his lips. He pressed another soft kiss to her neck, just below her ear, and smiled when he heard her moan softly. "Penny," he whispered, continuing running the brush through her hair. "What is it that you want?" he asked tentatively, his voice barely above a whisper, almost scared to hear her answer. "What do you want from this?" he asked, waving his hand between them. As he waited on her answer he finished with the brush and started running his fingers through her silky hair. "Because, to be honest, I'm not sure I can have just one night." Penelope turned to face him, unsure if she had heard him correctly, his voice so soft she wasn't sure she had heard him at all. 'He wants more than just a night?' she couldn't believe what she was hearing. David Rossi, the epitome of sexiness, sophistication, and just all around manliness, wanted more than a one night stand with her, plain Penelope Garcia.

"I won't ask for more than _you_ are willing to give, sir," she said, still not wanting to get her hopes up. "I won't lie, sir.." she was cut off by his finger on her lips. "I told you, call me Dave, please. Or at the least, Rossi. You don't have to 'sir' me, Garcia." His thumb had replaced his finger and he traced a path across her cheek, letting his hand cup her face, inwardly smiling as she leaned into the touch. "Okay, Rossi," she said softly, "I won't ask you for more than you want to give, but I'm not sure I can just have one night from you, either. I want more than that." She finished in a near whisper, gasping when his lips were on hers suddenly in hurried exploration.

"I was hoping you would say that," he said softly, resting his forehead against her own. "I need more than just one night with you, Penelope. If we are going to try this, I need to know, if you are willing to," he couldn't believe he was about to ask her to do this, "if you would be willing, to umm...to wait on sleeping together? I figure, I've never waited on anything, I always took what I could get, when I could get it, because I could. Now, with you, with this," he waved his hand between them, "it's to important to me, _you_ are you to important to me, and I don't want it to blow up and end to soon just because we jumped in bed right away. I guess you could say it's kind of like that old saying, 'if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got'," he pulled back to look in her eyes, making sure she understood what he was trying to convey. When all he saw was pure acceptance, he realized he had made the right choice in asking her to wait. A lot of women might have been upset, wondering if there was something wrong with them that a man didn't want to sleep with them right away. But a lot of women, and Penelope Garcia was one of them, were overjoyed when a man took the initiative to wait, especially when it was a man like David Rossi, who probably didn't have to wait on much. She nodded her head in agreement and Rossi leaned in, kissing her slowly, softly, as if it were the first time he'd put his lips on hers. Her arms snaked up and around his neck, pulling him closer, as he deepened the kiss and ran his hands along her back, toying with the hem of her shirt as she leaned back into the couch. Rossi placed a kiss on her chin, then trailed a path down her throat until he reached her collar bone, where he placed a soft trail of feathery kisses over each side, before making his way back up to her lips. His hand had slipped beneath her shirt making its way up and down her back in soft strokes. He wondered if he should be letting this happen, but he couldn't stop himself from wanting to touch more of her skin. She was addictive, he decided. Her body begging for his touch and when his hand slid further up her back and he realized she wasn't wearing a bra, he released a growl and moved his hand to cup the weight of her breast. She moaned as he ran a thumb across the taught nipple, moving a hand to the back of his neck to pull him down for another kiss. His t-shirt that she was wearing was quickly pulled up and over her head to reveal her breasts, and she instantly shied away covering her body with her arms, not wanting him to see her voluptuous body and thick curves. "Penelope," he said her name softly and she met his eyes once again. "Let me see you," he said quietly, knowing that she wasn't entirely comfortable being exposed in any mans presence. He knew there had been ignorant men that had degraded her. Made her feel like she wasn't good enough. The asshole that shot her was proof enough of that. "Please?", he questioned softly, his eyes never leaving hers as Penelope wasn't sure what to expect if she revealed herself to him. Her body was by no means perfect and she had never been comfortable being so exposed to someone in the light. If the room had been dark, it would be different, he wouldn't be able to see what she thought to be such unattractiveness. Rossi stood and gently tugged on her arm, indicating her to do the same. "I want to see you, sweetheart. Believe me when I tell you, you have an amazing body, please don't shy away from me," he tugged her to her feet, reveling in the sight of her bare torso, her exposed breasts just begging for his mouth to be upon them. His sharp intake of breath as he reached out a hand to cup her breast, told her he was indeed sincere with his words. Pulling her forward, he pressed his lips to hers, trailing his lips from her mouth, down her throat and over her collarbone to her exposed breast, taking the nipple between his lips and suckling lightly. Her breath hitched as he brought his hand up and twisted her other nipple between his fingers, causing her to moan in pleasure.

"David, sir, um, Rossi," she sputtered over her words, her thoughts coming in short bursts as her brain was being over stimulated by his mouth on her breast. "If you want to wait, on the sex, then you might want to stop what you're doing, because if you keep going, I'm not sure that I will be able to stop." Rossi pulled his head back and nodded, running his hands lightly up her sides, loving the softness of her exposed skin.

"I couldn't help myself," he said with an impish grin. "They are magnificent. _You_ are magnificent." He gave her a quick kiss and handed the t-shirt back to her. "You'd better put this back on if we have any hope of surviving the wait." He smiled at her as she pulled the shirt over her head. "Did you want to sleep in the guest room?" he questioned, hoping she would say no, but not getting his hopes up.

"We are both adults, Rossi, I think, if it's okay with you, that I would like to sleep in bed with you tonight." She smiled over her shoulder as she headed toward the stairs, making her way to the master bedroom. He was right behind her, thanking his lucky stars that this had turned out to be the perfect end to an amazing day. He had been able to spend time with his 'family' outside of work for once, and even better than that, had finally found the piece of the puzzle that had been missing for so many years he'd thought he would never find it. As Penelope snuggled up next to him, he placed a kiss on her forehead, smiling down at her as he realized just how blessed he truly was.

The next morning, Rossi awoke with a familiar weight on his chest. He couldn't help but smile as he realized, that for the first time in possibly his entire life, he was actually doing something right when it came to a relationship. He didn't want to _date_ Penelope Garcia. No, it was more than that. He wanted to _court_ her. He wanted to romance her, love her, shower her with his affections. He already knew that she wasn't after him for his money. If that had been the case then she probably would have already used him up, but he knew better. Penelope was not the type of woman to be wowed by money and extravagant luxuries, but that didn't mean he couldn't spoil her.

He felt her shift and knew she was soon to be joining him in the land of the awakened. Penelope lifted her head, resting her chin on Rossi's chest, and smiled at him. She hadn't slept that well in ages, and waking up next to him was something she decided she could definitely get used to. He rolled over, pushing her into the mattress and leaned down to kiss her soundly on the lips not caring if they both had morning breath. She was absolutely stunning after first waking up. 'How has no one ever snatched her up for keeps?' he asked himself, wondering why she wasn't married with a houseful of children by now. 'Maybe that's not for her,' he thought with an internal shrug and bent down to kiss her again, allowing his lips to trail along her jawline and down to the spot just below her earlobe. Penelope let out a low moan, just enjoying the feelings this man was causing to course through her. He continued kissing her neck, making his way to the soft dip where her shoulder met her throat and gave a slight nip causing a sharp gasp to be torn from her throat. 'His lips are magic,' she thought as he made his way back to her mouth and kissed her deeply, loving the way she moaned when he broke contact. Resting his forehead against her own, he looked down upon her, running a finger lightly over her jawline. "Do you have any idea," he started softly, "how amazingly gorgeous you are in the morning when you first wake up?" he asked, still amazed that this wonderful woman was in his bed, in his arms, and wanted to be with him. She was so different than anyone else he had ever been with and that almost scared him. She wasn't vindictive or conniving or rude. She blushed at his compliment and bent her head down, trying to hide her embarrassment. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her face up so she could look at him. "I am going to make everything negative that anyone has ever told you about yourself irrelevant. Believe me when I say, you are a beautiful, amazing woman. And I mean that. Have you ever known me to say things I don't mean, Penelope?" he asked softly. At her silence he whispered, "I didn't think so," and covered her lips with his own again, pushing her further into the mattress, his body now completely covering hers, his arousal evident when he pushed his hips against her own. She moaned softly, still believing she was going to wake up and this was going to be just another dream. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him ever so much closer, running her fingers up and down his back in feathery strokes. All of a sudden he rolled off of her and sprinted to the bathroom, the call of nature suddenly taking control and needing to be taken care of immediately. Penelope giggled and then hopped off the bed, her own call of nature making itself known. When she returned to the bedroom from the bathroom down the hall, she saw him, sitting shirtless on the bed. As she realized how much smaller he was than her, she became self conscious once again. Making sure her shirt was pulled down, she made her way back to the bed, climbing back under the covers and making sure she covered herself. Rossi sighed in frustration as he realized that somewhere along the line, someone had made this beautiful woman feel ashamed of her curves and her wonderfully voluptuous body. David Rossi, for his part, loved a thick woman. A woman with curves was the most beautiful creature in the world. Skinny woman had nothing to hold on to. "Baby listen to me," he said. "You do not need to hide from me. Please, believe me sweetheart, when I tell you that I LOVE your curves. Your body is a wonderland of beauty. How can I make you believe that?" he questioned as he turned to face her and she relaxed a bit under the covers. Penelope just nodded her head, unsure of what to say. No one had ever spoken like that to her before. No one had ever told her that she had an amazing body. David Rossi was the only man that had ever complimented her body, other than when perverts said stupid remarks about her rather large chest and she didn't really count that as a compliment. Again, she blushed and looked down, still unsure how to respond.

"It's just," she started, her voice choked with emotion. "No one has ever...I've never had anyone say, anything like that to me before. No one as ever given me any sort of compliment about my body, so when you say things like, that," Penelope waved a hand as if indicating through motion what "that" was, "it throws me for a loop and I'm not sure how to react. Oh, there have been men who have told me I was beautiful just to get some and then they were gone, so it got to the point where any man that told me anything like that, even the not so good looking ones, I just got to where I would laugh it off. Because it always ended the same. Just like with Battle. I just thought he liked me, but I guess I should have known better, I mean...I just should have known better," she shuddered and took a deep breath, willing the tears to stay away. Rossi brought his hand up, cupping her cheek, lightly brushing the lightly falling tears away with his thumb.

"Forget about him, Penelope. I'm here for you. In whatever way you need me, whenever you need me. Just call on me, baby, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you." Rossi leaned forward, capturing her lips again. She pulled back a bit and moved to get off the bed but he grabbed her back.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" he questioned, pulling her back to him. "Lets just lay here for awhile, I just...I just want to be with you," he said, an unsure look passing over his face. "Is that okay?" Penelope nodded her head, happily laying back down on the bed with him. He rolled over, draping an arm over her stomach and pulled her closer. "Can I ask you something?" he asked quietly, the question he had he was unsure on asking.

"Of course," Pen answered, rolling over slightly so she could look in his eyes. "What is it?" she asked, hesitant to find out.

"Why haven't you already gotten married and had children?", he asked the question softly, almost, it seemed, so as not to scare her. He didn't want to put her on the spot if it was a bad thing to bring up so he quickly added, "if it's something you don't mind me asking." He didn't want her to feel pressured in any way to talk to him about her past. He wanted her to feel safe enough to _want_ to talk to him about it. Everything about her, he wanted to know. Penelope nodded her head, she had no problem talking about marriage and children, wanting to share with this man. And for him to share with her.

"I've just never met the right person to have children with or even be married to. Kevin was a great man, but I just couldn't buy the farm with him and move to the country. Plus, even though he's a great guy, I just couldn't see myself having kids with him. I want kids, but it would have to be with the right person." She felt herself start to ramble and stopped talking to wait on some kind of response or anything. It wasn't really anything big or horrible as to why she wasn't married with kids by now, she just hadn't met "that guy". Rossi nodded his head in understanding and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Why haven't you finally settled down?" she asked, knowing he had three ex-wives, but finding herself wanting to know what happened with them.

Dave found himself debating whether or not to tell her about his first wife and their child. He decided to be honest. "I had a son with my first wife," he started. "He passed before he was even a day old. Even though we still loved each other, we couldn't face one another anymore because we both blamed one another. It was nobody's fault. She's the one that just passed away." Rossi paused for a moment and took a deep breath as a wave of emotion flooded through him. Penelope grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together and giving him a gentle squeeze. He tugged her closer and kissed her shoulder before settling his chin there. "My second and third wives both grew cold as my career as a BAU profiler grew hot and we finally, like Hotch and Hayley, just drifted apart until there was nothing left to salvage. Although if Hotch had actually been transferred, I don't think any of that would have happened," he said, "though don't get me wrong, I don't blame Aaron at all for what George Foyet did. That was all on him. Hotch did what he thought was best and the outcome wasn't good. He's a changed man for that, but also a better man. A learned man, so to speak," Dave finished his thought and sighed, thinking back to the whole Foyet incident. 'That was an awful day,' he thought ruefully. He was in no way at all upset with the action the Aaron had taken regarding George Foyet. Some say he was to forceful. To Rossi, Foyet deserved worse than what Aaron had given him. If it hadn't been for Morgan pulling him off, who knows how long Hotch would have continued to beat Foyet's head into the floor. Thank God Jack hadn't been harmed. Though everyone was sure he had heard the shots, but at least he didn't have to see it. Penelope and Rossi shuddered, both thinking along the same lines, and just held each other tighter, glad for the warmth and comfort radiating from the other. Pen rolled over and settled herself half under, half beside Rossi and looked into his eyes, bringing their joined hands to her lips and giving his knuckles a light kiss.

"I'm so thankful I have you, Dave. Knowing that you actually want to wait to have sex is still just blowing my mind. That has to be the sweetest thing anyone has ever asked me." She made sure she had his full attention, even though what she had to tell him was, in a way, potentially embarrassing. "Any other man, except Kevin...it was always something like, "I really like you, you really like me, let's just do it and everything that comes after will be great." or "you know I'm in this for the long haul, why not?". I feel like a whore-," she felt a light thump on the tip of her nose. "What'd you do that for?" she yelped, trying, but failing, to figure out why he'd thumped her nose. "You are no whore, Penelope, please don't ever call yourself that in my presence, or ever, for that matter," he cautioned gently, kissing the tip of her nose, where he'd thumped lightly.

"May I continue, sir?" she asked sarcastically. "Anyways. I feel like such a whore for even telling you this, but most of the guys I have dated, I slept with almost immediately because, if I didn't," she paused for a moment, gathering the strength to tell him the basics of why she would hide from him as soon as she was revealed to him. "If I didn't sleep with them, I never heard from any of them again. It got to the point where I figured there must be something wrong with me, because none of the hot guys would ever even _look_ at me, even now, present company completely excluded of course," she said so softly he almost didn't hear her. But he heard the plainly unspoken "I still don't understand why you're looking at me though". She looked down for a moment, a light blush flushing her skin and then she continued. "After so long of things being said, that I don't want to repeat, but as you can imagine they were all about my body, and after awhile you start believing the things you hear people whispering." She had to stop, remembering how everyone, all her life, had made her feel like less than she was, not good enough because of her size. Everyone but the team, that is. They had never treated her as anything less than amazing, extraordinary in fact. "But you all have really made my self esteem go crazy through the roof!" Penelope suddenly exclaimed. She had seen the look of irritation pass over his face at what she had told him she'd gone through. He nodded in understanding, leaning down to press a kiss against her lips. "I do have a question I need to ask though," she said. The way it came out, she almost sounded guilty of something. He nodded his head, already having a good idea of what she was going to ask. "What do you see when you look at my body? I see JJ and Emily and so many other people that have such perfect bodies and I just start wishing I hadn't been born with such a thick body." A look of shame passed over her face and, fleeting though it may have been, David Rossi was not one to be pleased when someone was made to feel ashamed because they were a bigger person.

"Honey, when I look at you, I see a perfect body. I see you, Penelope, and I just can't understand how men could be so stupid as to pass you over. You have curves, REAL curves, and Baby, they are beautiful! _You_ are beautiful. Will you please believe me when I say that?" Rossi questioned. He looked her up and down, loving every curve with his eyes, his hand finding its way to her hip under the cover. She nodded her head, an unshed tear in her eye. The hand on her hip made its way to her cheek and she felt him wipe the tear away with his thumb. "I can't wait to make love to you, Penelope Garcia," he said with a whisper. "I will show you what it feels like to be treated like the amazing goddess that you are." Rossi leaned down to press a tender kiss to her forehead, then the tip of her nose, and finally, he pressed a kiss to her lips. It was supposed to be a short kiss, filled with the promise he had just made. It turned out to be a short kiss, that quickly turned into a heated embrace.

Penelope could feel his hands roaming over her overly sensitive skin and shivered. If this man was as talented with the rest of his body as he was with his hands and tongue she was sure she would die of pleasure when they finally did make love. That thought jolted her from the passionate embrace.

"David, the wait. We have to wait, if we keep this up I won't be able to, what with your words and, and your hands and holy bejeebers where did you learn to kiss like that?" she exclaimed from her kiss swollen lips.

Dave just laughed and said, "I'm Italian." Penelope smiled and lightly smacked his arm. He grew serious though, knowing they needed to talk about things, he broke the ice first. "In all seriousness, Pen, we need to talk. Set our boundaries, how long we plan to wait, so on and so forth. I will leave the wait up to you, however long you want to wait, that's how long we will wait. I want to do things right by you, to dispel the rumors you have heard about me, which I know, believe me, there are a lot of them. I want to get to _know _you, which I know sounds nuts beings we work together. But there is a difference in knowing someone at work and knowing them intimately. That's what I want with you. Something I have never had before with anyone else, is true intimacy. And I don't mean having sex every day. I mean knowing your heart and soul and your mind." Rossi paused for a moment, gaging her reaction. He smiled when he saw flicker of admiration for him go across her face. "First things first though," he said with a smile. "The wait. How long do _you_ want to wait? I was thinking 1-3 months, myself, but if you want to wait longer, I will wait with you. If you don't want to wait that long, then let me know. I'm on your time frame, Pen," he finished with a smile, happy as he saw the happiness shine in her eyes. Happiness he knew he was the cause for.

"Let's see, today is Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. One to 3 months is fine with me, if that's how long you want to wait. But if I, surprise you sooner, you won't..." she trailed off and he knew where she was going. Her head had dipped down, her face not showing as she was wringing her hands in her lap.

"Sweetheart, I'm never going to think less of you, I won't be disappointed in you. As humans, we have urges, and sometimes, we have to tamp down on them. Like right now I'm finding it rather hard to keep from devouring your body, but urges and controlling them are just a matter of willpower," he grinned at her lasciviously and she couldn't help the shiver that went through her body at the anticipation and the thought of David Rossi devouring her body in all the ways she could possibly imagine. That thought alone was almost enough to make her say screw the wait and go ahead and give in. But he was right. Waiting would be better if for no other reason then they weren't rushing into anything. She was already preparing to surprise him on Christmas or New Year's. She wanted to wait, and 3 months was a good time frame, but she had already been waiting for this for months as it was. Penelope moved to get out of bed and he trapped her. Rossi had her pinned on the mattress, his body covering hers completely and pushing her into the mattress, holding her body in place. "W-what are you doing?" she breathed out as his hand came up to cup her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as he did so.

"I think I could fall in love with you, Penelope Garcia. What scares me most, is the fact that I think I want to fall in love with you. I'm pretty sure I've already begun to fall," Rossi said softly, his other hand making its way up to also up her other cheek, as his lips came softly down on hers. "I want you, don't ever doubt that, Penelope." Penelope nodded her head, her mind still reeling from his revelation. He was falling in love with her? David Rossi, the legend among the BAU, the reason certain rules were set in place, was falling in love with her. Penelope still couldn't reason as to why the gorgeous Italian wanted her, in her mind she was so plain for a man like him. _Just go with it, Pen,_" a voice whispered in her head. For now she would, but she was trying to keep her heart from getting hurt again. She wanted him, but she was cautious. She knew the reason behind the rumors, knew that some of them had to be true. Wanted to know if he really was the god between the sheets she had heard about. But what she wanted most was to not get hurt. She had that awful feeling that regardless of how hard she tried, in the end her heart was going to belong to David Rossi.

He kissed her, tenderly at first, then to soon pulled back. He kept his gaze on her face, both of his hands still cupping her cheeks, his thumbs stroking her face softly. Rossi leaned down to kiss her again, this time deepening the kiss by taking her gasp of pleasure as an opportunity to slip his tongue inside her mouth. Penelope whimpered at the intimate contact, finally coming to her senses and responding with vigor to his kiss. His hands made their way from her face to her hips, then to the hem of her shirt, slipping underneath and running his fingers down her smooth sides. She shivered as the coolness of his touch against her heated skin gave her goosebumps. He ran a trail of kisses from her mouth to her neck and down to her collarbone, his hands lifting the shirt from her body and pulling it over her head. "What about the wait?" she asked sheepishly, trying to hide herself, but finding it impossible with him atop her. Rossi sat up, straddling her hips and running his hands up her body, working his way to her breasts.

"Do you trust me, Penelope?" he questioned softly, knowing the answer was yes even as she nodded her head. "We will wait, I just want to see you. I want you to know that you are appreciated. All of you, your body, is beautiful. There is a reason why I said to not ever doubt that I wanted you. I know people have said hurtful things, Honey," he tilted her chin so she would look him in the eye, "I would never do that. You are far to wonderful and far to beautiful to ever say anything that would be derogatory to your body. I love your curves, to me, your body is perfect. Don't ever doubt that I mean that," he said. All she could do was nod her head, to afraid to speak for the overflow of emotions she was feeling right now. He was the only man that had ever told her anything positive about her body. Period. It was sad really. That was going to make her fall harder than anything. David Rossi was nothing, if not a smooth talker. But this, she was pretty sure, was more than just a line to get her in bed. Obviously, beings he's the one that suggested waiting in the first place. That voice in the back of her head was starting to yell at her now, "_**JUST GO WITH IT PENELOPE!"**__. _She shook her head to get rid of the screaming in her head. Rossi took the shaking of her head the wrong way and he leaned back over her, once again covering her body with his. "Take off my shirt," he demanded of her softly. He sat back up, moving down a bit so he could pull her with him. His body was by no means perfect and he was going to show her that. She slowly pulled his shirt over his head, no questions asked, and gasped as she took in the sight of him.

"You are amazing," she almost whispered, her hands automatically going to his chest to run her fingers through his chest hair. She leaned forward, placing a kiss on each shoulder, reveling in the feel of his body against hers. His chest hair rubbed at her already sensitive nipples and she gasped in pleasure as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her body flush against his, both of them gasping at the contact of one another. He pressed a kiss to her hair and pushed her back into the mattress, entwining his fingers with hers and holding their hands above her head as he kissed her, so much passion put into the intimate gesture she thought she might pass out. The whimper that escaped her caused him to grin against her lips and he made his way to her breast, pulling a taught nipple between his lips and gently raked his teeth over the sensitive nub before moving to the other one and doing the same, loving the moans of pleasure that came from her lips. He ran his hands gently down her arms, over her ribs and across her stomach, loving the way she was squirming beneath him just from the touch of his hands. "You're so sensitive to my touch, Penelope," he said softly, raising his head and resting his chin on space between her breasts. The hair of his go-tee tickling her as he softly rubbed his chin against her soft skin. He couldn't get over the fact that this amazingly beautiful, vivacious woman was still single. It just blew his mind. Penelope brought a hand down and rested it in his hair, her fingers running through his thick hair. David Rossi was finding it very heard to control his urges. It had been his idea to wait, but the feel of her body under his was doing things to him, waking things inside him that he thought had been long dead. They needed to finish their talk. He needed to know what her boundaries are. He figured she would stop him if he started going to far. He asked her anyways. "You'll stop me, if I start going to far, won't you?" he asked tentatively, already knowing the answer, but being a gentlemen, he felt he had to ask. She nodded her head, pulling him up for another kiss and hugged him to her. He rested his head on her chest, making sure she wasn't being crushed by his body.

She knew she was gone, when he kept making sure she was okay. She didn't stand a chance against his charms. As long as she had wanted him, combined with the overwhelming gentleness she found he possessed, she knew she was already in love with him. She felt a tear escape the corner of her eye before she could stop it. As soon as she sniffled, Rossi raised his head, his hand coming up to wipe the tear away. "Hey, why the tears?" he asked gently, wondering what was wrong with the woman in his arms to make her cry.

"I don't want to scare you away," she said, so quietly that he almost didn't hear her.

"Nothing you have to say will scare me off, Penelope. How can I make you believe that?" he asked softly, his voice carrying a hint of sadness as he realized that people's meanness had broken this woman.

She nodded her head and almost sheepishly, tucked her head down. She couldn't look at him when she told him she loved him. She was scared of the reaction she would get. Sure he had said that he _could_ fall in love with her. Just because a man said that, they didn't always mean. it. She needed to not hold past men against this current man that seemed so sincere. Her voice was husky as she replied, "David Rossi, I've been in love with you for months. I have been waiting _months_, for this to happen." Her face flushed a bright red and another tear escaped. Dave caught the tear with his lips and once again tilted her chin so she was looking at him.

"It's okay, Baby. As I told you earlier, I'm well on my way. Don't ever be ashamed or scared to tell me something. I get the feeling that by the time we get where we're going, you are going to have me wrapped around your whole hand. Not just a finger," he said teasingly, dropping a kiss to both her cheeks and then a soft kiss to her lips. Penelope let her inhibitions and shyness go and just let her emotions take over. Her hands came to his back and began running up and down softly running her nails down his bare skin, loving the way he shivered every time she would hit his low back around the waistband of his boxers. She ran her nails around his sides and ran them very lightly up his sides, giggling when he squirmed and gasping as she felt his right hand dip below her waistband of the boxers she was currently wearing. His hand paused, Rossi awaiting the instruction to stop. He was testing the waters so to speak. He wanted to see how far she would let him go, how much she was willing to give back, if anything (which if it was nothing, that was fine with him, when it came to women he would much rather give than receive). He looked up to make sure he was welcome where he was going and seeing no hesitation in her eyes, he continued, his hand seeking out her core. His eyes locked with hers as he found his destination, watching in awe at the look of pure pleasure on her face as he parted her folds with his finger and probed one inside. Her breathing hitched, he knew he had her. "You're so wet for me," Rossi growled, his voice husky with lust as he watched her face contort with pleasure he knew he was responsible for giving. His thumb found her swollen bundle of nerves and he swiped across it once, twice with the padding of his thumb before gently pressing into it, putting just the right amount of pressure exactly where she needed it and along with the probing finger hooking at just the right time against her g-spot, she fell apart in his hand, her whole body shaking with the force of her orgasm. He left his hand in place, his thumb tracing lazy circles against the bundle of nerves, the aroma of her arousal controlling the air. Letting her ride out the waves of ecstasy, he gently continued his finger probing inside her. Her body quivered, and her walls clenched around his finger and he knew she was about to go again. "Let go, Penelope, I'm right here to catch you when you fall," he said, his voice soft, filled with promise. Penelope felt herself fall into the pleasure he was giving her again, her body already overly sensitive from her previous orgasm. His mouth latched onto her sensitive nipple and that was all it took, the feel of his tongue swirling around the sensitive nub sending her over the edge again, as Dave added another finger to her wet heat, quickening the pace of his fingers and adding more pressure to her clit, she quickly fell apart, the force of her orgasm causing her to arch her back off the bed, her walls clenching around his fingers as he wrapped his other arm around her back and pulled her against him, letting her ride out the waves, she collapsed back against the bed, pulling him with her, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. He pulled away, pulling his hand from her shorts, he licked her juices off his fingers, relishing the taste of her. Rossi sat back, once again straddling her hips, and stared down at the sight before him. Penelope Garcia was half naked, her hair splayed out on the pillows, her body slightly flushed from the after effects of the two orgasms he had given her, just with his fingers. "You are beautiful," he whispered, not wanting to break the spell that had fallen over them. "Absolutely beautiful," he whispered, his voice slightly more husky than before. He was achingly hard after watching her fall apart beneath him, his dick throbbing with need. He wasn't expecting it when she put her hand through the opening in his boxers and grabbed his member with her hand. She sat up and pushed him back against the foot of the bed. She moved down his body, trailing kisses down his chest, stopping at both nipples to flick her tongue over them. He groaned as her fingers lightly stroked him, teasing, almost to the point of tormenting. She finished her trail of kisses, stopping at the waistband of his boxers, and continued, pulled them down as he lifted his hips. "What are you doing, Penelope?" he asked dizzily, his mind muddled with knowing the need to wait and wanting to be buried in her wet heat, to feel her pulsating around him. When he looked down, he saw her mouth enclose around his aching dick, the gasp escaping his lips as the sight before him caused him to almost cum right then. He threw his head against the mattress and let the feelings of pleasure take over. He was getting close to going over the edge and he pulled her up, giving her a kiss and trying to get control of himself, he said softly, "I want to be inside you when I cum for the first time with you, unless you want me to..." he trailed off, not quite sure how to ask her if he could go in her mouth. Penelope gave him a final kiss and went back to his throbbing dick. She ran her tongue around the tip and then took him all the way to the base. 'Oh my God, she's deep throating me,' he thought as the pleasure over took him when she swallowed, he throat slightly constricting. She brought her head all the way back up and then went down again, sucking as she went along to the base of his dick. He knew he was close and when she paused at his tip to lick the droplets of cum that had formed there, she knew also. Letting her mouth do the work, she swirled her tongue around him, before sucking her way back up, one hand going to stroke him as the other went to his balls. She put just enough pressure on the base of his cock as she stroked up his length, all the while still working the magic that was her mouth. She felt his balls tighten in her hand, felt his dick pulsate, and felt his body quiver as he jerked his hips once, twice into her mouth as he came, marveling as she swallowed and expertly ran her fingernails over his stomach, right above his pelvis. She brought her head back up even with his, not sure if he would kiss her after she had swallowed his fluids. No other man ever had, so she immediately went to move away but was stopped as his hands found hers and he immediately gave her an open mouthed kiss, unashamed of the fact that she had just swallowed _him_. Another tear escaped at his tenderness, his just absolute gentleness. "I will show what a real man is supposed to be, Ms. Garcia," he said, hating the men that had broken this amazing woman's self confidence. He knew a lot of it had to do with Battle and the fact that she had been duped. He hated that man, not only because of his shooting Pen, but for his destroying her self confidence. He had demolished it. David Rossi was determined to make her believe she was wonderful again. He knew it was in there, buried deep so she didn't get hurt. He knew he already had her heart. He knew he had to be careful with what he did and what he said. "I don't want you to ever feel ashamed of your curves with me. Don't ever be ashamed of who you are, Penelope," he said sternly, watching the emotions play out on her face.

"You know to much, Dave," she said sheepishly, hating herself for revealing her love to him. What if he used it against her? This was Dave, she reprimanded herself for that thought immediately. Dave wouldn't use her words against her.

"I know just enough for now," he said with a smile. "Knowing you love me, makes my fall easier, knowing there is going to be someone there to catch me," he said as they both moved off the bed and headed to the bathroom. "Can I see you?" he questioned quietly, wondering if she would reveal her body to him, wondering if she would share a shower with him.

"If we keep going like this, waiting isn't going to happen." She smiled at him with a wink and pushed him out of the bathroom with a kiss. He smiled to himself, glad she wasn't upset at anything that had transpired. He loved her. He already knew that. He just wasn't ready to let her know yet. It scared him. He was terrified. He barely even knew her, really, and he was head over heels for the woman. That's what scared him the most. Her softness, her kindheartedness, her love for the people she worked with that she often declared as her "family", he knew enough to know she was going to be completely devoted to him. 'And to only me,' he thought to himself as he made his way to the other bathroom. They still had a lot of talking to do, but he was determined to make this work. She would be the last woman he was with if it killed him. She was a beautiful woman and David Rossi was determined to her see that in herself again.

It had been almost exactly a month and there had been no further incidents between the two of them. The team had no clue there was a budding relationship going on before their very eyes. Penelope and Rossi had been on date after date, each one ending at the doorstep of her apartment, Rossi refusing to come in, not wanting to run the risk that he might end up breaking the wait. It was 2 days before Christmas, the team had just gotten off of a case and had been promised the next two weeks off. The weren't to be back until after the New Year.

Rossi, for his part, was glad for the break. Even Penelope had been granted the time off, the director pulling Lynch in for her replacement, but making sure he stayed in his office. As she was walking toward the elevator to leave for the two week reprieve, her almost-lover joined her as she waited for the doors to open. They were among the last to leave and he joined her as they stepped into the box, alone, and waited for the doors to close. It had been three days since she had had seen him and she lifted her head to look at him, actually _look_ at him, for the first time since the teams return. He looked tired, worn somehow. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, her voice like honey to his senses. He nodded his head and grabbed her hand, hitting the E-Stop button and pinning her against the wall. "I've missed you, Pen," he said, his voice husky with desire. She shivered against him and felt his lips on her neck, nipping his way up and dragging kisses along her jawline, working his way to her open, waiting mouth as he pressed his mouth to hers, kissing her with all the passion he had. "I love you, Penelope Garcia," he said, his hands coming up to frame her face, watching the wonder and awe settle in place on her face and the desire dance through her eyes as she pulled him closer and kissed him with everything she had. His thumbs brushed her cheeks and he caught the stray tear that fell from her eye as the overwhelming emotion of knowing she was actually loved back, by an amazing man, finally caught up to her and she found no other way to let it out. She was sexually frustrated, needing the release only he could give her. She knew when they made love, that he would spoil her from every other man out there. You don't get that kind of a reputation for no reason, and Pen knew she was in for a ride. He released her and hit the E-Stop again, starting the lift, watching with a smirk as she tried to straighten her clothes and hair. "I love you too, Dave," she said after she got straightened up.

He walked her to her car, weaving through the cars in the parking garage and finally making a straight path to her car. They got to the drivers side door and he opened it for her, making sure she was safely inside. Before he shut the door, he knelt down beside the driver's seat and grabbed her hand. "What are you doing tonight? Come to my house in an hour or so, if you haven't made other plans." He said, rather assured that she would be there. Penelope nodded her head and he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips before standing up and shutting her door. Waiting until she had started her car and was safely driving away, he finally walked to his car and made his way home. He was thinking about Christmas and how much it was going to mean to have her by his side at this time of year. Since his last divorce he had been alone at Christmas, watching other people, families, sharing the special day. Everyone on the team, Derek, Spencer, Emily, JJ, Hotch, they all had somewhere to go. He realized as he made the mental list, that Penelope never left for Christmas. Then he realized that he and her the entire time he'd been working there, had spent Christmas in town and alone, when they could have been spending it with each other. He gave himself a mental slap and then steered his car into the drive-way, opening his garage door and parking. He was really beginning to like the idea of having Penelope around for holidays, special days like his birthday, it would be nice to have someone to celebrate to that with. He was always alone it seemed. He knew all he had to do was call Hotch and he would be there, little Jack in tow. He was a great kid, Dave thought. 'I wonder if she'd want kids with someone like me? Someone my age?' Dave thought to himself. He shook off the thoughts of doubt and made his way to the shower. He only had 40 minutes until she showed up.

Penelope made her way to the shower and hopped in, loving the way the hot water felt against her skin. There was nothing better than the shower before you were off for 2 weeks. It was always wonderful to know that you were showering because you had somewhere to be that wasn't work. She still couldn't get over the fact that David Rossi was in love with _her_. It just seemed so surreal. She had been going with it though and so far, this first month had been good. There had been no pressure. Nothing but holding hands, kisses here and there, the most contact they had had was the kiss shared in the elevator. She realized right then just how much she needed him. She finished showering and got ready to go, just blow-drying her hair and throwing it up in a messy ponytail. She threw on a pair of jeans for once, just deciding to be comfortable, and grabbed a maroon sweater that swooped down just below her neck and came back up almost like a turtleneck. As she grabbed her keys, she realized just exactly how lucky she was. This man loved her and she loved him. This man had _waited _for _her._ He wanted to be with and there was nothing but love in his eyes when he looked at her. Thinking about the way he had looked at her in the elevator made her knees weak as she made her way to her car and headed toward Rossi's house. 'Mansion, whatever you want to call it,' she thought, inwardly wishing she had more money and feeling slightly unworthy of this man's companionship. She knew he could get better women, better looking, smaller, smarter, and more sophisticated, it still hadn't quite sunk all the way in that he actually _wanted_ her. It just baffled her sometimes. Even after all the times they had been out, sometimes it made her paranoid that he wouldn't come in after their dates. She knew he didn't want to tempt himself, but in the back of her mind, something was telling her it was because he didn't really want to be with her and was regretting it. She knew it was ludicrous, but as she climbed his steps and knocked on the door, she couldn't help but start to feel nervous. He let her in, closing the door behind her and took in her toned down appearance. Her clothing was casual, jeans and a sweater, something he had never seen her in, and her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail held in place with a single black band. Her face was devoid of the normally heavy makeup she wore, and instead just simple eyeliner and lipstick. "You look amazing," he said simply. The look suited her and he loved the way her curves were highlighted by the jeans and sweater. He took her coat, hanging it on the hook by the door beside his own. Grabbing her hand he lead her into the kitchen and she sat down one of the stools. "I wanted to make you dinner," he said, his voice this with desire after taking in her appearance. He couldn't help himself as he walked over to her, stepped in between her legs and wrapped his arms around her before kissing her soundly on the lips. She responded immediately to his kiss, giving in to the feel of his hands trailing their way up and down her back before coming to rest on her hips. Breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead on her own, looking into her eyes, seeing desire that matched his own. He brought one hand up and pulled the ponytail holder out of her hair, watching with delight as her golden locks fell around her shoulders. His hands tangled themselves in her hair as he brought her in for another kiss, deepening it when she opened her mouth to let his tongue slide in and tangle with her own. Her hands were moving of their own accord and she suddenly realized she was undoing his pants, ready to take his right there in the kitchen.

"Dave, I want you," she said, her voice thick with lust and desire. "I _need_ you." She had waited long enough. She needed him tonight.

He pulled back, studying her face, wondering, hoping, she meant what he thought she meant. Looking around to make sure everything was turned off in the kitchen, he took her by the hand and holding his pants with the other, lead her to his bedroom. He suddenly felt nervous. It had been a long time since he had made love to someone. He had had sex plenty of times, but actually making love, that had been awhile. He pulled her beside him as they approached the bed. "Are you sure, Penelope?" he asked quietly. He didn't want her to regret not waiting more than just a month. As she nodded her head, his hands made their way to her hips, toying with the hem of her sweater before pulling it up and over her head. Her hands continued their work on his pants, getting the belt undone and pulling the button out and undoing the zipper in one swift motion. She hadn't even noticed when he took her bra off and now his hands were making swift work of her pants as his lips trailed a path down her neck to each breast, and down her stomach as he knelt before her pushing her gently to sit on the bed. He nudged her hip and she lifted, allowing him to pull her jeans and panties down. At the low growl that he emitted she looked up in concern. He saw the fear in her eyes immediately and eased her worries quickly. "You are breathtaking," he said, his breathing slightly labored as he stood to take off his shirt and admire her fully. Penelope blushed under his inspection, not used to the admiration she was seeing in his eyes. He made quick work of his shirt and moved to cover her body with his.

Three hours later, a sweaty mess of tangled limbs, Penelope lay with her head on his chest, still in the haze of afterglow. "You are," she paused, searching for the right word. "Perfect," she said simply, unable to think of another word to describe what had just happened. David Rossi was mind blowing when making love to a woman. He made sure she was completely taken care of before even thinking of making sure his needs were met. "I love you," she said quietly. Rossi wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you, too, Penelope," he said. They laid that way for a while in comfortable silence before finally drifting off to sleep, knowing that, though it may not always be easy, a beautiful life together was awaiting them in the days ahead.


End file.
